Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - LECOM

LECOM Clerkship and Clinical Rotations

The essence of clinical training has been said to be "experience with graduated responsibility" and this concept is followed at LECOM. Phase III of the curriculum consists of third-year and fourth-year clinical rotations (or clerkships). To achieve curricular goals and objectives these clinical rotations will utilize:

1. A large base of osteopathic and allopathic physicians who have experience in both primary care and non-primary care specialties and are acutely aware of the cultural and socioeconomic milieu of modern medicine;
2. Accredited hospitals in which student can gain the experience of patient care in large tertiary centers, smaller community-based hospitals, rural hospitals and their respective health systems;
3. Outpatient clinical training in an environment and area in which the student may ultimately practice;
4. Community clinics staffed by professionals from the local area; and
5. Studies of developing cost-effective primary care delivery systems. The clinical curriculum provides training on a rotational basis at a wide variety of geographically diverse sites. It is based on a Regional Campus model.

Students are assigned to a core year-long training site for their third and fourth years of clinical training. LECOM year-long training sites may provide all core rotations, but some sites will require that the students complete some core rotations at another LECOM-affiliated training site determined by Clinical Education. Most clinical training sites are located in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, California, Missouri, Michigan and Florida. There are additional training sites in different regions throughout the country. Students might expect, and should be prepared for, inter-state travel. 

Students will be provided with inpatient clinical experiences at hospitals and medical centers and outpatient experiences at hospital-based clinics, free-standing clinics, and physicians' offices. The availability of elective opportunities will maximize career options and enrich undergraduate medical education. Students will have rotation experiences with osteopathic physicians and residents.

• Core rotations in the third year include: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine I, Pediatrics, and General Surgery I.
• Required rotations include Internal Medicine II and III, General Surgery II, OB/GYN, Geriatrics/OPP, Emergency Medicine/Critical Care, Psychiatry/Behavioral Health, and Office-Based Practice 1 and 2 (OBP1 and OBP2), Medical/Surgery Selective I and II, Primary care Selective, rural/underserved.

To optimize student success, the clinical curriculum incorporates dedicated developmental rotations.

• The OMS3 year concludes with a Comprehensive Clinical Knowledge (CCK) rotation designed to prepare students for the transition to their OMS4 year and formal preparation for COMLEX Level 2CE.
• The OMS4 year concludes with a Transitional Inter-Professional Development (TIPD) rotation designed to prepare students for the transition to their residency and formal preparation for COMPLEX Level 3. During the fourth year, students complete Medical/Surgical Selective 1 and 2, which are designed to offer greater flexibility in utilizing preferred disciplines and rotation availability at the core year-long site.

Required rotations such as OBP1, OBP2, and Emergency Medicine/Critical Care are completed at the assigned core year-long site. During the third and fourth years, students will be required to successfully complete their clinical clerkships, along with the required online didactic curriculum. Rotations are assigned by the Office of Clinical Education.

Premedical Coursework

Courses below are shown as either Recommended or Required and, when applicable, include the number of semester hours needed.

Admissions

LECOM follows a rolling admissions cycle. An applicant’s first step is submitting a primary application to AACOMAS. AACOMAS collates materials, computes grades**, and transmits standardized information to LECOM. LECOM requires the submission of either a single letter of recommendation from a premedical or pre-health committee, or two letters of recommendation from core science professors from the applicant’s undergraduate or graduate institution. When complete, applications are screened and qualified applicants receive an email from LECOM inviting them to complete a web-based Supplemental Application.

LECOM’s Academic Index Score (AIS) is an alternative to the MCAT. In place of the MCAT, applicants may use an AIS - a calculation based on the applicant's overall undergraduate or graduate GPA, and SAT/ACT scores from high school. LECOM recognizes diversity of backgrounds in applicants. While scores on standardized tests do not solely relate to becoming a great physician, utilizing the AIS contributes to our ability to provide a holistic review of applicants.

Following receipt of all necessary documentation, the application is reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Committee members evaluate candidates according to LECOM’s Institutional Student Learning Outcomes of discipline knowledge, professionalism, and osteopathic philosophy. Candidates that meet these criteria are invited to complete a virtual interview.

Following the interview, the Admissions Committee conducts a second review of the applicant-submitted information and interview evaluations. Applicants who have demonstrated to the Committee that they are qualified for admission are extended an offer of acceptance to the College of Medicine.

**LECOM does not accept AP or IB credits for core science (Biology, chemistry, physics) prerequisite courses. AP or IB credits can be accepted for English or Behavorial Science prerequisite courses under the conditions that the student scored a 3 or better on the AP test or scored a 5 or better on the IB test. Students will be required to provide official documentation of the score.

Tuition, Fees & Financial Aid

2026-2027 Academic Year